Inventory control and monitoring the distribution and manufacture of articles typically involves providing identification of the articles of interest. A common practice in many fields is to apply labels to articles in which the labels contain identifiers or other information which can thus be associated with the article.
Labeling tires and other rubber-based articles can be problematic, particularly if the labelling is to occur prior to fabrication or before production is complete. Tires and a wide array of other rubber-based articles are subjected to one or more vulcanization operations in which the tire or tire components are fused or molded together. Vulcanization also modifies the rubber-based composition by forming an extensive network of crosslinks within the rubber matrix, thereby significantly increasing the strength and durability of the article.
Although numerous vulcanization techniques are known, many depending upon the type of curing system in the rubber composition, nearly all techniques include application of high pressure and elevated temperatures to the “green,” i.e., unvulcanized, rubber-based article.
In view of these and other concerns, adhesive labels have been developed which can be applied to green rubber-based articles such as tires, and which can endure the relatively high temperatures and pressures associated with vulcanization. Although satisfactory in many respects, a need remains for alternative article identification provisions and strategies for tracking articles and particularly tires, during production, distribution, inventory, and rubber product lifetime.